cnet:
On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg airship burst into flames over a New Jersey field. 75 years later, the disaster remains a source of mystery and fascination.
The Hindenburg was one of the first disasters caught on film, thanks to newsreel coverage. It had an unmistakable effect on the masses (it doomed travel by airship) and remains one of the most iconic moments of the 20th century. Reporter Herbert Morrison’s reaction, “Oh, the humanity,” quickly became the stuff of legend.
While the explosion was tragic and many people died, there were more survivors than you might think. Of the 97 people onboard, 36 people died (including one member of the ground crew). Despite all the attention that went into the determining the cause of the explosion, much remains a mystery.
One theory states that the Hindenburg’s fabric was highly flammable. However, according toAirships.net, “scientific studies show that the Hindenburg’s covering might not have been flammable at all.” So, then why the explosion? Was it due to hydrogen gas mixing with oxygen? Was there too much static electricity? Like the death of JFK, everybody’s got a theory.
The true cause of the tragedy may never be known. But the Hindenburg disaster remains an eerily compelling story, even three-quarters of a century after that misty day in New Jersey.
